New Testament --Truth or Myth?
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But if we are honestly seeking truth we must ask: Is the New Testament and its doctrines in harmony with “the law and . . . the testimony”? Measured against the Old Testament, do these teachings hold up? Consider a few contrasts between the New Testament and “the law and . . . the testimony.” To earnest truth-seekers, these represent but “the tip of the iceberg” of very serious problems with Christian documents and belief.
Salvation
At the core of Christian belief is this matter of salvation. What is it and why do we need it? That should be an easy question! Both the Old and New Testaments state that all have sinned: “There is not a just man upon earth, that doeth good, and sinneth not.” “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of Elohim.” However, what the two Testaments state must be done about this differs widely. The New Testament asserts that we are helpless to return from sin and therefore utterly dependent upon a Saviour: “Without me ye can do nothing.” “Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.” The Old Testament, by contrast, consistently places and leaves all choices and responsibility with us: “Seek ye Yehuveh while He may be found, call ye upon Him while He is near.” “Turn ye unto Me, saith Yehuveh of hosts, and I will turn unto you.” “Even from the days of your fathers ye are gone away from Mine ordinances, and have not kept them. Return unto Me, and I will return unto you, saith Yehuveh of hosts.” From the New Testament perspective, we cannot be held responsible for our actions, only for our choice of whether to turn to the Saviour. Believing this, most of us do not make the necessary decisions to live by Yehuveh’s instructions. Perceiving ourselves to be helpless, we are. This self-view is crippling and makes us exceedingly dependent upon the mercy of both Yehuveh and men. Such “disabling” has served effectively to control the masses. Ecclesiastes 7:20; Romans 3:23; John 15:5; Acts 4:12; Isaiah 55:6; Zechariah 1:3; Malachi 3:7.
Deliverance by Advent or Rapture
The New Testament presents a final annihilation of the earth, before which Yehuveh’s people will be delivered and removed from the earth. The Old Testament also indicates that “Yehuveh maketh the earth empty, and maketh it waste, and turneth it upside down,” but presents quite a different view of what is to happen to Yehuveh’s people before and after these events. There is no Old Testament support for deliverance by departure from the earth. Both rapture and advent beliefs are exclusively New Testament doctrines. Should that not alarm us?
The supportive texts for both Old Testament and New Testament views are presented in detail in Section 4: Articles 1:Can We Expect a Rapture? and 2: Is Yehoshua to Come Again? Isaiah 24:1.
Gael Bataman
Originally Written: 6 July 2007
Latest Update: 13 May 2010
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